Green Black Metal
Best black metal bands on topics:
animal liberation, Earth liberation, ethical veganism, environmentalism, ecocentrism, anarcho-primitivism.
No NSBM !!! |
| 1 | Wild's Reprisal
Vegan Cascadian black metal from Portland's forests. Wild's Reprisal is a one-man project of Gedden Cascadia, an activist, who is involved in the environmental movement Cascadia Forest Defenders. The project promotes a strong ecocentric philosophy, leaning towards radical deep ecology. All lyrics are composed of passages from essays by philosophers such as Aldo Leopold, Arne Næss, George Sessions, Warwick Fox, Garrett Hardin, Rachel Carson, Greta Gaard, Freya Mathews, and Carolyn Merchant. He also addresses key issues such as overpopulation and the climate crisis. Wild's Reprisal has a strong environmental as well as social impact. |
| 2 | Agowilt
Agowilt is a vegan USBM band with elements of doom metal, influenced by the philosophies of thinkers like John Zerzan, Ted Kaczynski (Unabomber), and Guy Debord. Their lyrics reflect the ideas of the nonviolent wing of anarcho-primitivism. According to the band, „We are not using this band as a tool to merely regurgitate the ideas of others, but as a tool to develop and spread our own unique analysis and critique“. |
| 3 | Alda
Cascadian black metal band Alda sympathizes with eco-anarchism and reflects its philosophy in their lyrics, which celebrate nature and the reclaiming of the world through atavism. |
| 4 | Ancient Emblem
Black metal with crust elements, Ancient Emblem is a Basque vegan band that strongly opposes theism and authorities in their lyrics. The only religion for them is Mother Earth, and the only law is the Law of Nature. They mention symbols like the Ouroboros, symbolizing the cyclical nature of things, self-destruction, and self-renewal, and thus advocate for the self-destruction of civilization and the renewal of nature. The band members openly support anti-fascism and anti-speciesism. Additionally, some members play in other bands; for example, the bass player is part of the metalcore ALF band Justice Department. |
| 5 | Apostate Saints
Blackened old-school death metal / blackened crust project from Australia that focuses on ecological apocalypse and the suffering caused by humans to other species. The sole member of the project is ethical vegan, Tamas Ferenczy. |
| 6 | Awenden
Atmospheric black metal from the USA. Project Awenden is clearly committed to the RABM scene but the lyrics aren't very political; They are all strongly influenced by the philosophy of anarcho-primitivism. Awenden is a project of one person who also plays in the environmental deathgrind band XCLASSACTIONX. |
| 7 | Axidance
The anarchist band Axidance comes from Ryazan, Russia, plays atmospheric blackened crust, although their first albums were in the style of classic crust punk. The lyrics have social and environmental overtones. |
| 8 | Botanist
The California-based band Botanist promotes the importance of flora in their lyrics, often at the expense of humanity, which they suggest should be replaced by plants. They label their songs as "plant metal" and "green metal". It's also noteworthy that they use a hammered dulcimer instead of an electric guitar. Some members of Botanist are also involved in other similar bands; Ophidian Forest is particularly noteworthy in this regard. |
| 9 | Book Of Sand
Vegan anarchist experimental black metal from Minnesota, USA. This band is also actively committed to occultism, anti-Nazism, anarcha-feminism, and the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT). The lyrics of the band present these philosophies in a more or less non-violent rhetoric. |
| 10 | Bonjour Tristesse
Bonjour Tristesse is a German post-black metal project by Nathanael, also known as Matthias from the left-wing band King Apathy (formerly Thränenkind). Nathanael has long been an active advocate for ethical veganism, the anti-fascist movement, the straight edge lifestyle, and environmental views. The lyrics focus on themes of spiritual loneliness in the urbanized concrete jungles and melancholy critiques of modern, industrialized civilization. |
| 11 | Cicadan
Blackened doom metal from the forest region of the Australian state of Victoria. The lyrics are influenced by atavism and memories of the destruction of indigenous land by civilization. It is a one-man project led by an eco-anarchist who has also been active with organizations such as Sea Shepherd on the MV Bob Barker. |
| 12 | Corubo
Black metal band from Brazil that combines elements of radical environmentalism and indigenous cultures in both its lyrics and music. Lyrics are in the languages of indigenous tribes, especially in Guarani. The band's political message is clear: anti-colonialist, environmental, and anti-nationalist. The band takes its name from the "corubo", an unofficial name for one of the uncontacted tribes in the Amazon rainforest. |
| 13 | Cuscuta
Cuscuta, in the original meaning of the word, is a designation for a genus of plants that live by parasitizing other plants. Cuscuta is also a one-person project that considers modern civilization to be a parasite and glorifies the collapse of civilization in songs. However, the lyrics have a social overlap and there is no blind misanthropy, although there is a strong influence of DSBM. |
| 14 | Dawn Ray'd
Dawn Ray'd, a political blackened crust band from Liverpool, seeks to bring together themes such as veganism, anti-capitalism, anti-fascism, and social anarchism in a spirit of intersectionality. Their ideology is more focused on social issues than environmental ones, and some environmentalists issues they have even reject as "eco-fascist". However, it may still be relevant within the context of this list. |
| 15 | Deafest
Deafest (formerly DunkelSkog) is a band that plays atmospheric Cascadian black metal. In their songs, they sing about nature and denigrate the artificial urban world. The band members are also the organizers of the anti-NSBM project, the Black Metal Alliance. |
| 16 | Din of Awakening
A one-man vegan project that has two albums to his credit. The first is in the genre of raw atmospheric black metal, the second is in the genre of raw USBM. The lyrics are influenced by the occult worship of Nature and bear elements of a non-violent form of anarcho-primitivism philosophy. The author of the project allegedly has some affiliation with people from the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). |
| 17 | Downfall of Gaia
Downfall of Gaia is a German vegan atmospheric post-black metal band with crust elements. In their lyrics, they share quite depressing stories about decline, dying, emptiness, and darkness, while at the same time, through hidden allegories, they unveil the absurdity of the vicious spiral of humanity. |
| 18 | Ends Embrace
Ends Embrace is a vegan raw black metal / blackened noise project by one man, a member of the Navajo tribe of Arizona. Ideologically, he is influenced by the RABM scene but the lyrics are not very political. The lyrics sharply attack the advocates of the theistic religions, which make people apathetic to the destruction of the environment. |
| 19 | Escaping Aghartha
Escaping Aghartha, an experimental project from North Carolina with a lyrical emphasis on environmental degradation due to anthropogenic causes, combines ambient music, death-doom, and doom metal. But the atmospheric blackened doom metal album "Evoke.Contrast.Evolve" (2019) is suitable for this list anyway. The lead member, Avery Dart, is a biologist and environmental conservationist. |
| 20 | Faceofanother
FaceOfAnother is a raw blackened crust band from Scotland. They are strongly influenced by political eco-anarchism. All the lyrics are nihilistic but also socially, humanistically, anti-racist, and anti-speciesist. They resemble the lyrics of more politically engaged anarcho-punk bands. |
| 21 | Glistening
Glistening is a vegan raw atmospheric black metal project by one active musician who runs Extinctionist Records. He leads many other projects, the most interesting of which for this list are Farrowing Shed, Bodhisattva, and Solitarian. They all share a sharp anticarnist and antinatalist legacy. But beware, the author rejects environmentalism, nature conservation, rewilding, etc. |
| 22 | Gnapenstob
Vegan band from Texas, USA. Genre: DSBM (early) / edge metal (later). Formerly known as Yidak, now as Wings of Kynareth. |
| 23 | Gravpel
Anarcho-primitivist black metal band from Basel, Switzerland. They also support the LGBT, GNWP and vegan movement. |
| 24 | Human Serpent
Eco-nihilist band from Greece. Their songs express misanthropy from an environmental perspective, conveying through lyrics that humanity is not and should not be considered a superior stage of creation, often referring to humans as parasites. |
| 25 | Iskalde Morket
Progressive / technical black metal band from the UK, focused on animal rights issues. |
| 26 | Казнь
Blackened post-hardcore from Korolyov, Russia. Казнь is a one-man project that subscribes to the Straight Edge subculture, anti-fascism, and the animal liberation movement. However, the lyrics mainly deal with historical political topics. |
| 27 | King Apathy
Vegan blackgaze / post-black metal band, formerly known as Thränenkind. |
| 28 | Kluizenaer
The band Kluizenaer from Potsdam, Germany, belongs to the RABM scene. The members consider themselves anti-capitalists and promote intersectional veganism and feminism. However, the lyrics are not too radical; they express thoughts of anti-nationalism and anti-clericalism. |
| 29 | Lake Of Blood
Aggressive vegan USBM. Although the members of the band Lake of Blood share clear anti-Nazi and environmental attitudes in their personal lives, the lyrics are different. They are full of misanthropy, in which they stand up against human or inhuman entities waging war against Homo sapiens, written poetically, almost philosophically. |
| 30 | Leech [US]
Cascadian black metal with crust punk elements. The band Leech is influenced by the more moderate wing of anarcho-primitivism, as reflected in the lyrics. Not to be confused with other bands of the same name, this Leech comes from Salem, Oregon, and is led by vegan promoter Nate Myers. |
| 31 | Leper
Skacore (early) / crust punk with a slight influence of black metal (End Progress). It is not directly a part of the black metal genre, but due to its thematic elements, this Canadian band should not be excluded. Previously, they played skacore / grindcore with standard anarchist lyrics, but later they switched exclusively to crust influenced by environmentalism and radical anarcho-primitivism. |
| 32 | Mania
Vegan blackened doom metal with elements of depressive black metal (DBM). The lyrics of the band Mania, from Salem, Oregon, sharply address human-led ecocides, species extinction, and pollution and are equally critical of theistic religions that justify destructive lifestyles. |
| 33 | Merkaba
Post-black metal band from Kentucky, USA. |
| 34 | Panopticon
Vegan atmospheric USBM, a project of one man who joins the RABM scene. Its lyrics are initially influenced by a philosophy similar to Murray Bookchin's social ecology, later evolving to include a reverence for nature associated with spiritualism. |
| 35 | Ploughshare
Black metal / blackened death metal with doom metal elements (early) / blackened industrial death metal with strong elements of sludge metal, noise rock and electronics (later). All vegan band from Australia. |
| 36 | Radagast
Cascadian black metal band from California, USA. |
| 37 | Returning
The songs of the band Returning are characterized by long tracks of atmospheric black metal, which is often fast and aggressive, but punctuated by breaks of mournful, post-rock guitars and dark ambient drones. This two-member band expresses opposition to ecocide and colonial toxicities as some of their primary political points. The aim of their lyrics is to transport our minds to another place, one very different from the urban landscapes in which many of us are confined. They pay homage to the rivers, forests, and mountains that nourish us and give us the strength to carry on in the face of ecological unraveling. |
| 38 | Sacrificial Totem
Sacrificial Totem disbanded in 2006 after its main member, Nathan Exile Block, was arrested by the FBI and sentenced to more than 7 years in prison for his involvement in eco-sabotage arson attacks carried out by the local cell of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Not long after that, he began to support the radical ecological philosophy called "ATWA" (Air Trees Water Animals). However, many anarchists and anti-fascists have labeled Exile as an eso-fascist (esoteric neo-fascist) after his returning from prison in 2014, due to his posts on his now-defunct blog. Although Sacrificial Totem originates from the Cascadian black metal scene, most of its songs fall under the drone / ritual ambient genre, with the exception of the album Kurghan, which is a suitable fit for this list. |
| 39 | Sadhaka
Melodic atmospheric black metal band from Olympia, Washington. The lyrics advocate for a spiritual connection with nature and caution against misery and loneliness if such a connection is not made. Experienced musicians with eco-spiritual backgrounds have rotated in the group, such as field ecologist and climate student Yianna Bekris of Vouna who provides additional vocals. Some members have also been in the renowned band, Wolves in the Throne Room. |
| 40 | Seas Of Winter
Raw USBM with female vocals. This politically-charged band is heavily influenced by activism for the climate, anti-capitalism, and anti-fascism in their lyrics. |
| 41 | Seeds in Barren Fields
Vegan anarchist blackened crust from Sweden. The lyrics discuss socio-ecological topics. |
| 42 | Skagos
Skagos is an atmospheric black metal project by Iskra's bassist Raymond Hawes. |
| 43 | Skarntyde
In the lyrics, the Norwegian vegan black metal band Skarntyde transforms into a beast that hunts humans. The tables have turned. "Skarntyde" is also the name of a plant - a highly poisonous variety that was used in the past to kill humans. |
| 44 | Storm of Sedition
Extremist blackened crust band from the occupied Coast Salish Territories (British Columbia), which philosophy is too revolutionary even for left-wing radicals. While traditional anarchists advocate the abolition of governments in favor of freedom, the equality of society and the abolition of class barriers, Storm of Sedition advocates an anti-political green perspective that goes far beyond the struggles against capitalist institutions and the exploitation of workers. They are at war with civilization itself. Some members are vegans. They play in several similar bands, such as Black Kronstadt and Iskra. |
| 45 | Stellar Descent
Left-wing atmospheric black metal band from the USA. Lyrics criticize capitalism, neoliberalism and the destruction of the Earth by anthropogenic climate change. |
| 46 | Suicide Nation (USA-AZ)
Blackened hardcore band from Arizona, USA. |
| 47 | Sūrya
Sludge/doom metal with some black metal elements. Not actually black metal but this band cannot be missing here. |
| 48 | The Dead Musician
A French one-man black metal project incorporating elements of thrash metal. The albums "React Then Act" and "Mind Liberation for Canadians" are of particular interest for this list due to their themes of green anarchism and nonconformism. |
| 49 | The Secret
The Secret was formed on the wreckage of the radical vegan straight edge metalcore band From the Dying Sky in 2003. While at the time that band from Trieste, Italy, shouted for a war to defend the Earth and animals, today The Secret celebrates a time when Homo sapiens will be punished definitively for its crimes against Nature and there will be a big restart. Black metal with grindcore influences. |
| 50 | Threnos
Atmospheric black metal band with lyrics about nature. The members also play in many other bands of which Echtra, Fauna, Alda and Sadhaka are the most interesting for this list. |
| 51 | Underdark (UK)
Post-black metal band from Nottingham, UK. |
| 52 | Velvet Cacoon
Ambient black metal band from Oregon, USA. The lead member (SGL) stated in 2004 that the band had direct links to the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and described himself as an environmentalist. However, the band's lyrics are not environmentally oriented, and the band members are carnivorous. |
| 53 | Vestiges
USBM band with relatively strong screamo and post-metal elements. The lyrics focus exclusively on observing the relationship between humanity and nature, depicting human vanity and short-sightedness. Despite the absence of explicit misanthropic manifestations in the lyrics, the conclusion is that the problem is human presence itself, which hinders the Earth's ability to breathe and will ultimately destroy it. |
| 54 | Vraj
Transcendental atmospheric black metal / blackened krishnacore band from Indianapolis, USA. |
| 55 | Wheels Within Wheels
Drone ambient black metal one-man project from Louisville, Kentucky, USA. |
| 56 | Wind In His Hair
German band playing rhythmic neocrust with black metal elements, Wind in his Hair is a side project of straight edge vegans from the post-metal band King Apathy (formerly known as Thränenkind). The band aims to remind in the lyrics that life on Earth is not possible without respect for nature, and is influenced by anarcho-primitivism and supports rewilding. |
| 57 | Wildspeaker
Vegan blackened crust with female vocals (although the band's first albums were sludge crust, I would say). Lyrically, this Texas band is influenced by green anarchism, anarcho-primitivism, and a bit of misanthropy from an environmental point of view. |
| 58 | With the End in Mind
Post-black metal band from Washington, USA. Judging from their lyrics, they sympathize with the Cascadian Independence Project and the general eco-regionalist ideology of the cascadian BM scene. At least three band members are anarchists. |
| 59 | Woman Is The Earth
Atmospheric black metal from the USA. Woman Is The Earth is a band from the deep forests of South Dakota, hidden hundreds of kilometers from big cities, which is also reflected in the lyrics. They speak of an insurmountable desire to reconnect with the spirit of the natural world in today's times when this life-giving connection is rapidly falling apart. The lyrics have both ecological and social overtones. |
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